India and Ghana’s long-standing relationship is being increasingly shaped by strong people-to-people connections, even as economic, diplomatic and development cooperation between the two countries reaches new heights, India’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Manish Gupta has said.
Speaking at India’s 77th Republic Day reception in Accra, the High Commissioner described human connections as the bedrock of bilateral ties, noting that the estimated 15,000-strong Indian-Ghanaian community continues to act as a “Living Bridge” linking the two societies on a daily basis.
“The People-to-People linkages that form the bedrock of our relationship. The Indian-Ghanaian community represents a Living Bridge that connects our cultures every single day,” he said, pointing to sports, media and cultural engagement as visible expressions of that bond.
He cited the presence of Ghanaian footballers in India’s professional leagues as a symbol of shared values such as resilience and discipline, while noting that collaboration in media and culture has helped sustain mutual understanding beyond official state relations.
The High Commissioner said the people-centred foundation of the relationship complements a rapidly expanding strategic and economic partnership between the two countries. Ghana–India ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Partnership following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Ghana in July 2025, the first by an Indian prime minister in more than 30 years.
During that visit, four memoranda of understanding were signed, covering cultural exchange, traditional medicine and institutional dialogue, reinforcing cooperation in areas aligned with Ghana’s development priorities, including agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, mining, skills development and renewable energy.
He noted that economic engagement between the two countries has accelerated, with bilateral trade approaching five billion dollars, placing Ghana and India ahead of schedule on their shared target of doubling trade to six billion dollars within five years. India is also among Ghana’s leading investors, with more than two billion dollars invested across over 900 projects in manufacturing, services and infrastructure.
Beyond trade, the High Commissioner highlighted development cooperation and capacity building as central to the partnership. Flagship projects such as the Jubilee House, the Tema–Mpakadan railway line, the Foreign Service Institute, the Ghana–India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT and the Komenda Sugar Factory were cited as tangible outcomes of long-standing cooperation.
He announced that India has doubled its annual commitment to capacity building, offering 500 fully funded slots for higher education and professional training under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) programmes. About 5,000 Ghanaians have benefited from these programmes to date.
The High Commissioner also placed Ghana–India relations within a broader Global South context, stressing India’s belief that global progress is not possible without inclusive development. He described India’s low-cost, high-impact digital public infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy and space applications as solutions designed to meet the needs of developing economies.
As Ghana positions itself as a gateway for Indian industry into West Africa and the African Continental Free Trade Area, he said trust, shared democratic values and people-to-people engagement remain critical to sustaining the partnership.
He concluded that while governments sign agreements and businesses invest capital, it is the everyday interaction between people that gives the Ghana–India relationship its resilience.
“When two old friends walk together, they don’t just reach their destination — they transform the journey itself,” he said.
